Takoradi New Market has been opened to business after a fire broke out at the market on Monday, April 4, 2022, in some makeshift stores destroying items worth millions of cedis.
Traders were moved to the makeshift structures to make way for the redevelopment of the Market Circle. This was a move initiated by the Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, STMA.
According to the Metro Director of the Natural Disaster and Management Organization, NADMO, James Obeng Jnr, revealed that 258 structures were razed down in the fire outbreak.
He reckoned that assessment of the damages caused during the disaster showed that structures made of wood were greatly affected. Given the breakdown of the data received, there were 46 metal container stores, 161 wooden stores, 14 lockable stores and 7 stalls.
Mr Obeng mentioned that items lost in the fire summed up to I.5 million Ghana Cedis.
He further said new stores would be built for affected traders as part of the recommendations presented to the Regional Minister.
To prevent a similar disaster from occurring in the market, it was recommended by the committee that, henceforth no person should bring along gas cylinders, and microwaves into the market on any grounds.
“In cleaning up the debris we retrieved 23 gas cylinders, with 3 busted. We know that these cylinders are used for preparing food in the market,” he said.
He added that fire extinguishers and smoke detectors amongst other safety equipment would be installed at vantage points in the market.
